What this site is
We publish two things: an original, dated quarterly index of what Chinese-built robots cost to import and how long they take to deliver, and free client-side calculators that estimate landed cost and match a use-case to a robot track. We write like a customs handbook crossed with a pricing newsletter — answer-first, every figure sourced or flagged, units and currencies explicit, and "we don't have that number" stated plainly rather than guessed.
Who writes it
Daniel Vos, Trade-Data Editor. Daniel compiles the China Robot Price Index and writes Robot Sourcing Index's import-cost guides. His work is desk research — official customs schedules (WCO HS, EU TARIC, UK Trade Tariff, USITC HTS), published manufacturer specs, and aggregated, anonymized sourcing-quote data — not legal or customs-broker advice. He claims no personal lab testing of robots and no engineering credential; the value here is trade-data discipline, not hands-on hardware review. He has no commercial interest in any single supplier and names alternatives in every guide. For a binding ruling on classification or duty, consult a licensed customs broker.
How we make money
This site is free to use. It may carry standard display advertising, and our free tools can deep-link to a sourcing intermediary's pre-filled quote page when you choose to use them — clearly marked, never auto-submitted, and always one option named among several. That commercial relationship never changes a published figure: the Index reports bands from official schedules and anonymized data, full stop.
What we will not do
We do not fabricate specs, reviews or ratings; we do not publish per-supplier or per-customer terms; we do not present any single supplier as the only option; and we do not let a commercial placement move a number. Where our sample is too thin to publish responsibly, we withhold the figure and say so.
Robot Sourcing Index · robotsourcingindex.com · an independent trade-data desk. Reference information only, not legal, customs or tax advice.